Maternity Ward

[gemmye]

I was watching the show Maternity Ward on the Discovery Health channel the other night, and every time woman gave birth and that baby began to cry, I teared up! It was so amazing! :)

Working labor and delivery is a field I really would like to go into when I'm done with school. I was just wondering how some of you felt actually going through the whole labor process with the mother, actually being there while the whole thing is going on. I mean I was only watching on television and I was weeping! I can't imagine actually being there in the room!

[SC RN, RN]

Well, after a full year of working L&D as a RN, I can say that I rarely tear up anymore unless I've really bonded with the family and the situation is special in some way. What "Maternity Ward" doesn't show you is that the nurse most likely has another patient she is caring for, she is giving breaks to other RN's, triaging on the telephone, charting the same thing for the 4th time on some other piece of paper that JCAHO requires, searching frantically for a cable for the FSE or IUPC, etc, etc. Don't get me wrong, I love L&D and will never leave but sometimes you just don't get the opportunity to bond with a patient that you would like to when you are having a crazy day. Those patients that you do bond with, however, will make you remember why you work in L&D in the first place. :blushkiss

[SuperFlyRN]

YES! YeS! I've worked it for only 5 years-not long- but it never gets old. It is the miracle of life! and as cheesy as that sounds, it is true. WE may have seen it over and over but it is their FIRST. It is not their fault, nor concern with how inept our upper management and all that is and I try my very best to devote to them my full attention (as I am with my other laboring mama and my delivered lady!) like there is no one else in the world. I work with many jaded nurses who are so task-oriented and labor'em, deliver'em, get'em out that it is disconcerting. I love my job and would not change it for nothin' ('cept maybe NICU:wink2: ).